Detroit Tigers Greatest All-Star Game Memories

As Motor City Bengals editor Matt Pelc noted Thursday, the Detroit Tigers have had 244 players represent them in the oldest, most competitive game of it’s type in all of professional sports.

The All-Star Game was born as a promotion idea. After the boom years of the 1920’s baseball was taking a financial beating from the Great Depression while the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair organizers were searching for an event to help boost attendance.

More from Motor City Bengals

• Detroit Tigers: Victor Reyes finding ways to get the job done
• The Detroit Tigers must cut their losses and release Jonathan Schoop
• Detroit Tigers: Garrett Hill’s new role and changed delivery are excellent
• Detroit Tigers: Joe Jiménez has rebounded in 2022
• Detroit Tigers: Is it finally time to move the fences in at Comerica Park?

Arch Ward, sports editor for the Chicago Tribune proposed a one-time “Game of the Century” featuring the best players the American and National Leagues had to offer. To help boost interest he arranged for fans to vote for each league’s representatives.

Of the 18 players on each roster, eight National and 12 American League players, seven in their starting lineup, were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The game was played on July 6 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The American League won 4-2 with a two-run home run by Babe Ruth as the game’s highlight. The game was so popular that it was played again in 1934 and has served as the symbolic halfway point of the baseball season ever since.

Now it’s time to enjoy how the Tigers have enriched the history of the Midsummer Classic.

Next: The First In a Long Line

Credit: Boston Public Library https://goo.gl/DwKUY0

Charlie Gehringer: Owner of Second Base

The Mechanical Man was the only American League representative from the Detroit Tigers in the first all-star game and made his presence felt on the field.

Gehringer stole second base in the first inning after drawing a walk off of National League starter Bill Halahan but was left stranded. In the third he led off by drawing a walk and scored the second run of the game on Babe Ruth‘s mammoth blast into the right field stands.

Gehringer started at second base for the American League for six consecutive seasons (1933-1938). He is tied with Ted Kluszewski for the career all-star batting average lead at .500, though with twice the at-bats, 29 to 14, and is well ahead of all players in career on-base percentage at .655.

Next: The First Winning Tigers Pitcher

Jan 25, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Flags fly above the stadium facade during practice the day before the Stadium Series hockey game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

1939 – Bridges Records the Win

The 1939 All-Star Game was the first played at Yankee Stadium. Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with ALS early in the season sat on the bench as the AL’s honorary captain while the Tigers Hank Greenberg manned first base.

Tommy Bridges entered the game in the fourth with the American League losing 1-0 and retired six of the first seven batters he faced.

Greenberg played a part in the fourth inning scoring that gave the AL the lead. With one out he singled to left field, sending catcher Bill Dickey to second. George Selkirk singled to score Dickey, sending Greenberg to third. He scored one batter later on an error by shortstop Arky Vaghaun.

Bridges ran into trouble in the sixth when the National League loaded the bases with one out but rookie Bob Feller came in to get the inning ending double play. Feller closed the game to get the save.

Next: A Trio of Tigers Shine

Jul 26, 2014; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Famer

arrives with his wife at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

1957 – Kaline, Kuenn and Bunning Star

All three Tigers started for the American League at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis and each made an impact in the game.

Jim Bunning mowed through the National League lineup, going nine up, nine down in his three innings of work. To open the second he struck out Willie Mays looking on three straight curveballs.

In the second inning, Harvey Kuenn walked with the bases loaded to extend the AL’s lead to 2-0. He was replaced at shortstop by Gil McDougald in the bottom of the fourth.

Al Kaline played all nine innings in right field. In the fifth inning he recorded an assist when he threw to second base to get Frank Robinson on a force-out. In the top of the ninth and the AL up 3-2 Kaline lined a single to left-center to drive in Billy Pierce from third and McDougald from second, giving the AL a 5-2 lead.

The National League mounted a furious comeback in the bottom of the ninth but fell a run short for a 6-5 loss.

Next: Colavito Strikes Twice

Credit: Vintage Card Prices http://goo.gl/lctE4a

1961 and 1962 – Colavito Slugs Two Home Runs

From 1959 to 1962, two All-Star Games were played each season. In 1961 and 1962 right fielder Rocky Colavito took advantage of those second games.

In 1961 at Fenway Park first baseman Norm Cash led off the bottom of the first by striking out. Colavito followed with a home run to give the American League a 1-0 lead in a game that ended in a 1-1 tie after nine innings due to rain.

Almost exactly a year later in the second game of 1962 played at Wrigley Field Colavito came to the plate in the seventh inning with Brooks Robinson at third and Roger Maris on first with one out. He smashed a Turk Farrell pitch deep to left to give the American League a 7-1 lead in a game they won 9-4, their only All-Star game win in the 1960’s.

Next: A Tiger Stadium Power Display

Credit: Aaron Webb

1971 – Tiger Stadium Hosts In-game Home Run Derby

With the wind blowing out to right field at 25-MPH this game tied an All-Star Game record with six home runs by six different players. Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente all connected but there’s only one that everybody remembers.

In the bottom of the third, Luis Aparicio opened the inning with a single off of National League starter Dock Ellis. Then Reggie Jackson, pinch-hitting for AL starter Vida Blue, stepped to the plate. With the count 1-2, Jackson launched a rocket to right-center that smashed a light transformer on the roof of the stadium. It’s generally agreed that the ball traveled an estimated 520 feet with still a long way to go if it hadn’t been stopped.

The American League won the game 6-4 to snap an eight game losing streak. Mickey Lolich picked up the save. The National League would go on to win the next 11 contests.

Next: Kaline's Last Hurrah!

Courtesy of MLB.com

1974 – Al Kaline‘s Final All-Star Game

Mr. Tiger made his thirteenth All-Star Game in the final season of his career, his first was in 1955.

In the All-Star career record book he’s currently tied for fifth with seven runs scored, tied for seventh with Brooks Robinson and Ivan Rodriguez in singles with nine and tied for eighth with Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench in total bases with 19. He finished All-Star competition with a .324 batting average and a 514 slugging percentage.

Next: The Bird Invades Philadelphia

1976 – Fidrych Starts for the American League

Mark Fidrych took the nation by storm in 1976 with his talent plus eccentric habits on the mound. He was named the starting pitcher for the AL after amassing a 9-2 record with 1.78 ERA in the first half of the season.

The game became a letdown for Fidrych and his fans. He pitched two innings, giving up two runs on four hits and taking the loss in a 7-1 victory by the National League.

Fidrych went on to continue dominating opponents in the second half of 1976, finishing with a 19-9 record with a 2.34 ERA. He also completed 24 of the 29 games.

The following season he suffered a knee injury that kept him out until late May. He was still tough when he returned, putting together a 6-2 record before coming up with a dead arm July 4 against the Orioles. He was never the same pitcher.

Fidrych died tragically and way too young at the age of 54 in an accident as he was working on his truck.

Next: Parrish Packs His Rifle

1986 – Whitaker Blasts the AL to Victory

From September of 1977 to 1995 Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell teamed to form when of the greatest double play duos in Major League History. Both have too many career highlights to stuff into this article but Whitaker etched his name into the All-Star record book in the 1986 game at the Astrodome in Houston.

After their win in 1986 the American League had dropped another two games in the series. In the top of the second inning of a scoreless game with two outs, Dave Winfield doubled to right field off of Dwight Gooden. On an 0-2 pitch Whitaker connected for a home run to give the AL a 2-0 lead. They added a Tony Fernandez home run in the seventh to win the game 3-2.

That at-bat gave Whitaker a career All-Star Game cycle, a singular achievement.

Next: Miggy Takes Minnesota

Jun 30, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman

(24) breaks his bat grounding out in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

2014 – Cabrera Homers AL to 5-3 Win

Miguel Cabrera won the start as the American League’s first baseman for 2014 and struck early to help the American League break open the game early.

In the bottom of the first, Mike Trout tripled off of Adam Wainwright to drive in Derek Jeter and give the AL a 1-0 lead. Cabrera stepped to the plate one batter later with Trout still on third and drove Wainwright’s 0-1 pitch into the seats to extend the lead to 3-0.

After Chris Sale gave up the lead in the fourth, Max Scherzer entered to pitch a 1-2-3 fifth. The AL scored twice in the bottom of the inning to earn Scherzer the win.